Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Zoology Program Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Zoology Program Manager leads multidisciplinary initiatives that advance species conservation, animal welfare, and ecological research. This recruiter-crafted profile is optimized for search and LLM parsing: the role combines program design, field operations, budget and grant management, stakeholder partnership development, monitoring & evaluation, data-driven research oversight, and compliance with permitting and animal care standards. The ideal candidate balances scientific expertise (zoology, wildlife biology, ecology) with proven program and people management experience to deliver measurable conservation outcomes.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Field Biologist / Wildlife Technician transitioning to program coordination after 2–4 years of field experience
Conservation Project Coordinator with experience running small-scale projects, volunteer programs, and grant deliverables
Animal Care Supervisor or Senior Zookeeper with program-level responsibilities and public education experience

Advancement To:

Senior Program Manager, Conservation (oversight of multiple regional programs)
Director of Conservation Programs or Head of Wildlife Science
Regional Conservation Director / Senior Conservation Scientist

Lateral Moves:

Wildlife Ecologist or Research Program Manager
Animal Welfare & Husbandry Program Lead
Protected Areas Manager or NGO Partnerships Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, manage, and execute multi-year program plans that integrate zoological research, species recovery actions, habitat restoration, public education, and community engagement to meet conservation objectives and donor deliverables.
Lead the development and administration of annual program budgets; forecast costs for field seasons, laboratory analysis, equipment, staffing, and contracts, and produce monthly budget reports to ensure fiscal accountability.
Write, edit, and submit competitive grant proposals and funding applications (federal, state, foundation, corporate) and manage awarded grants including deliverables tracking, budget reconciliation, and compliance reporting.
Design and oversee field research programs, including study design, sampling protocols, data collection methods (e.g., camera trapping, acoustic monitoring, telemetry), and QA/QC procedures to ensure rigorous, publishable results.
Supervise multidisciplinary teams—field technicians, research associates, volunteers, interns, and partner staff—providing hiring input, onboarding, performance management, mentoring, and professional development.
Establish and maintain partnerships with universities, government agencies (wildlife agencies, fisheries, park services), indigenous groups, NGO partners, and private landowners to coordinate research, obtain access, and align conservation goals.
Ensure all program activities comply with relevant permits, animal welfare regulations (IACUC or equivalent), health & safety protocols, and permitting processes; prepare permit applications and coordinate inspections as required.
Develop and implement monitoring & evaluation frameworks, KPIs, and adaptive management cycles to measure biological outcomes, program effectiveness, and to guide iterative improvements.
Coordinate logistics for field operations, including season planning, equipment procurement and maintenance, vehicle and boat management, remote field camp setup, and supply chain coordination for remote work.
Lead data management practices: define metadata standards, oversee data entry and curation, manage relationships with data analysts and GIS specialists, and ensure data are FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable).
Oversee animal care and welfare components where applicable—create husbandry protocols, health monitoring schedules, veterinary liaison processes, and emergency response plans for captive or rehabilitated animals.
Manage community outreach, education, and citizen science programs to build public support, increase program visibility, and collect ancillary data through volunteer engagement and educational programming.
Produce high-quality technical and non-technical communications: scientific reports, peer-reviewed manuscripts, policy briefs, progress reports for funders, social media content, and press releases.
Negotiate and manage contracts, MOUs, and service agreements with consultants, labs, service providers, and contractors to deliver habitat restoration, sample analysis, and technical services.
Implement risk management and field safety programs including safety training, incident reporting, insurance coordination, and development of mitigation strategies for remote fieldwork and hazardous activities.
Drive species recovery planning by translating field data into actionable conservation interventions, prioritizing actions, and coordinating with recovery teams and regulatory authorities.
Facilitate internal and external meetings, stakeholder workshops, and advisory committee sessions to build consensus, report progress, and refine strategic priorities.
Integrate GIS and spatial analyses into program planning and reporting—produce maps for habitat assessments, corridor planning, and to support regulatory submissions and landowner engagement.
Monitor regulatory and policy environments affecting wildlife and habitat management; advise leadership on implications and support advocacy or policy engagement when relevant.
Recruit, train, and manage volunteer programs and citizen scientists to augment data collection while ensuring data quality, safety, and participant satisfaction.
Oversee procurement and inventory management for field supplies, lab consumables, and animal care materials to maintain operational readiness across project sites.
Lead adaptive project scheduling, resolving operational bottlenecks, reallocating resources across field seasons, and maintaining continuity of long-term monitoring programs.
Coordinate interdisciplinary synthesis of research outputs, translating technical findings into actionable management recommendations for practitioners, policymakers, and the public.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory analyses for program partners, funders, and internal leadership; coordinate with data analysts to produce visualizations and summary tables.
Contribute to the organization's conservation strategy and long-term roadmap by identifying research needs, capacity gaps, and scalable program models.
Collaborate with internal teams (development, communications, finance, human resources) and external business units to translate conservation and research needs into operational plans and cross-functional initiatives.
Participate in project planning cycles, quarterly reviews, and annual strategy sessions; apply adaptive management principles to integrate new evidence into program design.
Assist in developing marketing and fundraising materials, including case statements, donor impact summaries, and stewardship communications to support revenue generation.
Provide subject-matter expertise for media inquiries, educational programming, and represent the organization at conferences, workshops, and public hearings.
Maintain equipment and data repositories, oversee archiving of specimens and samples, and coordinate with institutional collections when needed.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Project and program management (work breakdown structures, Gantt charts, milestone tracking, PMP or equivalent familiarity).
Wildlife research methods: telemetry (VHF/GPS), camera trapping, acoustic monitoring, mark-recapture, nest monitoring, and population modeling.
Advanced GIS and spatial analysis skills (ArcGIS, QGIS, GPS data processing, habitat suitability modeling).
Data management and basic statistical analysis (R, Python, Excel advanced functions); familiarity with data QA/QC processes and database systems.
Grant writing and funder reporting (US federal agencies, state agencies, private foundations); budget development and financial tracking.
Regulatory compliance and permitting: experience preparing permits for animal handling, collection, transport, and research under local, state, and federal frameworks.
Animal husbandry and welfare protocols; experience coordinating veterinary care and health surveillance programs.
Habitat restoration and conservation planning techniques (invasive species control, revegetation, erosion control, corridor design).
Contract and vendor management, procurement, and supply chain logistics for field operations.
Monitoring & Evaluation frameworks and KPI design; experience with adaptive management and impact assessment.
Laboratory sample handling and chain-of-custody procedures for genetic, hormonal, or pathogen testing (where relevant).
Risk assessment and field safety planning, including emergency response and incident management systems.

Soft Skills

Strategic leadership with the ability to translate scientific evidence into program priorities and operational plans.
Strong written and verbal communication; experience synthesizing technical findings for diverse audiences including funders, policymakers, and the public.
Stakeholder engagement and relationship-building across government, academia, indigenous communities, NGOs, and private landowners.
Team leadership, mentorship, and conflict resolution skills for managing multidisciplinary and dispersed teams.
Problem-solving and adaptability in dynamic field conditions and multi-project environments.
Cultural competency and community-based conservation experience; respect for local and indigenous knowledge systems.
Time management and prioritization skills to balance field seasons, reporting deadlines, and emergent conservation needs.
Ethical decision-making and integrity in research, animal care, and community engagement.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Zoology, Wildlife Biology, Ecology, Conservation Biology, or a closely related natural science.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree or PhD in Zoology, Wildlife Ecology, Conservation Science, or related discipline preferred for senior roles.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Zoology / Wildlife Biology
Ecology / Conservation Biology
Environmental Science
Marine Biology (if applicable)
Natural Resource Management
Veterinary Science (useful for animal care components)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

5–10 years of progressive experience in wildlife research, conservation program delivery, or animal care, with at least 2–4 years in supervisory or program management roles.

Preferred:

7+ years managing multi-site conservation programs, demonstrated success securing and managing grants, published research or demonstrated monitoring outputs, and experience with regulatory permitting and community engagement.